Dash

In practice

An example in play

A player holds Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer on an early turn. The opponent has an open board and some mana up, which usually means a removal spell is waiting. Casting the creature the normal way would leave it sitting there through the opponent's whole turn.

With dash, the player pays the alternate cost instead. The creature enters with haste, so it attacks immediately. When the turn ends, it goes back to the player's hand. On the opponent's turn the battlefield is empty, and there is nothing for a removal spell to hit.

That is the trade. You give up a permanent body in exchange for safety, and you pay the dash cost again next turn if you want to repeat it. Ragavan is described as an aggressive design that rewards a strong early game, so dash fits it well.

If you want the base idea of why haste matters, our guide on how a Magic turn works covers summoning sickness, which dash gets around.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting the return. A dashed creature goes back to hand at end of turn, so it cannot block.
• Dashing when you could cast normally. If the opponent has no answer, the regular cast keeps the creature on the table.
• Paying the wrong cost. Dash is an alternate cost, separate from the printed one.
• Counting on a surprise. Haste is not hidden. The opponent can respond before the attack, so keep your plan flexible and watch their open mana.

Questions readers ask

When did dash arrive?

It debuted in Fate Reforged in 2015. Ragavan brought it to Modern Horizons 2.

Does the creature get summoning sickness?

It can attack right away. Haste is exactly the exception to that rule, which is the reason dash exists.

Does dash change a card's rarity?

No. Ragavan is a Mythic Rare in its featured print, and dash is only an alternate way to cast it. Rarity is the publisher's label for how often a card is printed.

Cards that show this mechanic

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